Wednesday 17th August 2011
Scotland's hotels top European break list
Herald
SCOTLAND’S hotels are outperforming hotspots such as Paris, Rome and Amsterdam, a tourism chief has said.
Kenneth Clark, head of tourism at Scottish Development International, which attracts private finance from overseas, said hotels had enjoyed bumper occupancy rates this year and could be the most profitable in Europe with the right investment.
He called on investors to come forward to help fund growth in the number of luxury hotels in Scotland.
Mr Clark said: “Scotland’s pre-eminence as a tourist destination is clear from the fact that we are outperforming many of the world’s most established tourist centres on room sales.
“However, to surpass them on overall returns, we need to add to our selection of quality, luxury hotels in order to increase our revenue per available room.
“This presents a great opportunity for long-term investors to benefit from Scotland’s quality assets and growing status as a global tourist destination. The demand is there: We just need the funding.”
During May and June hotels in Edinburgh had the highest occupancy rates in Europe at 86% and 92%, followed by Inverness. The capital was rated above Paris and Rome.